§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital trusts in England have received new radiotherapy equipment in the last two years paid for predominantly out of public funds. [7593]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 15 October 2001]: Investment through the New Opportunities Fund and the NHS Plan will provide public funds for 102 linear accelerators for treating cancer. In the last two years 30 linear accelerators have been delivered to 20 National Health Service trusts and are expected to be treating patients by the end of the year.
In addition as part of the planned investment announced in this period, public funding has been allocated for radiotherapy treatment planning computers and simulation equipment to support these. By 2004 all of this radiotherapy equipment will be in place. In total we expect 41 of the 48 hospitals delivering radiotherapy in England to have received equipment through central funding.
§ Tim LoughtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what investment has taken place in radiotherapy equipment in the NHS in each of the last four years; and what percentage of this was funded from NHS rather than voluntary sector sources. [7592]
§ Mr. Hutton[holding answer 15 October 2001]: Investment in radiotherapy equipment by the National Health Service in the last four years will have come from a number of sources and will not always have been made through central purchasing channels. Radiotherapy equipment may include linear accelerators, remote afterloading equipment, superficial treatment machines, 1242W and treatment planning computers and simulation equipment. Provision has been through traditional capital purchasing and through leasing arrangements.
New Opportunities Fund funding of £44 million has been allocated to radiotherapy equipment over this period and further funding will be made available centrally for linear accelerators, simulation equipment and treatment planning computers, as announced in the NHS Plan.